Send In The Clowns?

This interview in the Times with Beppe Grillo took me back to my visit to Italy in the late 1980s and the late 1990s when I was struck by the many similarities between Italy and India. Notably the ordinary people’s reaction to existential problems.

A lot of water has flown down the rivers of both countries since then, but another remarkable similarity has been thrown up by events that overtook both the countries in the late first decade of the new century.

These two gentlemen Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal were also called clowns by the establishment, but the movement that they started has gathered quite a bit of movement and people power like what has motivated the government to take notice of the atrocities against women are just the beginning of what may well turn out to be the harbinger for change in the coming elections to our parliament in 2014. Just like Beppe Grillo’s party has now become a king maker, the Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejriwal may well turn out to be the king maker in a what I predict to be a very hung parliament.

What is striking however, is the very similar situations prevailing in both Italy and India and the situations are generating similar responses and throwing up unlikely saviours.

Lest this post gets carried away into a major political discussion, just to lighten up or to change the mood, depending on how you look at it, here is one of my old favourite songs on clowns. How apt in a different context!

13 Responses to Send In The Clowns?

Serendipity again Ramana. I heard Mandy Patinkin on the radio the other day (he was being interviewed) and he sang this song and I was quite teary (to my surprise). though I do love Barbra’s also.
XO
WWWwisewebwoman recently posted..An Obscure (and unmarketable) Skill Set

Streisand? Yuk! She’s the most horrible American woman alive after Jane Fonda. A pretty voice doesn’t give you license to be evil. Listen to this version instead. It’s better, and Judy Collins doesn’t suffer from the disease of ‘being evil’ like Streisand does.

my goodness kevin. stop beating around the bush and tell us what you really think! LOL.
thank you rummy. that was lovely. a favorite song.
and non political that I am . . . I always appreciate learning something new from you. very interesting comparisons.tammy j recently posted..simplicity

If you wonder why I think Barbara Streissand is evil, you might as well just wonder why I think Jason or Freddie from those horror movies are evil. Or why I think Pol Pot was evil. I only think it because it’s true.